This was the way she’d planned to spend her summer. She hadn’t crawled out of bed until almost eight. Mercifully, Millie had slept in as well. She made herself a light breakfast of fruit and yogurt and was sitting peacefully at her kitchen table, eating a piece of toast, sipping a second cup of coffee, about to open the library book she’d been trying to get to for a week. She had no place to go and nothing scheduled.
The phone rang.
She thought about not answering it but some habits were hard to break. ‘Hello?’
It was Emma Baxter. Would today be a good day to meet for lunch? Wilson had gone back to Sacramento for the day, she was at a loose end and she’d love to meet Mary at The Yum Yum – her treat. Mary looked at her library book, shut it and said she’d be delighted. Twelve-thirty? Perfect. She’d meet Emma there. She hung up and sighed. Oh, well. She didn’t have anything she had to do other than get through the library book before it was due, and if she could help Emma find out a little something about her roots, so much the better, although Emma might not be too pleased with what Mary had to say. Her grandfather hadn’t been a model citizen and her poor grandmother had not had an easy time. If her father and uncles didn’t want to talk about their childhood, she certainly didn’t want to talk out of turn, but some things … Like what the boys had been like in school, how smart they were, how the fried egg thing was an accident … But maybe she’d skip how they were always on welfare and their father drank up all the money and never could hold a job. She was going to have to walk a fine line, indeed.
‘You’re in luck.’
Millie looked at her with what seemed to be anticipation.
Mary laughed. ‘Yes, you’re going, but only as far as the pet shop. You can harass the kittens while I have lunch with Emma.’
Millie seemed to smile as she watched Mary head for the shower.
Emma dropped the remains of her half-eaten hamburger on her plate and picked up her iced tea. ‘My grandmother didn’t have an easy time of it, did she?’
Mary finished the last of her BLT and pushed the plate to one side. ‘No, she didn’t. She lived like a pioneer woman most of her married life and I think it broke her heart when the boys left, but I also think she knew they had to or they’d end up like their father.’
Brow furrowed, eyes gleaming suspiciously, Emma looked at Mary. ‘Why didn’t she leave him? I know my father tried to get her to several times but she wouldn’t. Why?’
Mary shook her head. ‘I don’t know. I really never knew either of them. Her sister, your aunt Bea, was a friend of mine and she told me things. She tried to get her to leave, also. She couldn’t understand it and it almost drove her to distraction. Finally, she gave up. I think the boys did also.’
Emma shook her head. ‘The poor thing.’
‘She made her choice.’ Mary tried to make her voice kind but firm. Eva Baxter had chosen to stay and there was nothing her sons or granddaughter could do about it – not then and certainly not now. ‘Tell me about your father and your uncles. I haven’t seen them in years. I didn’t see your father when he came to sell the ranch and take your mother away. I guess he didn’t want to come back because Ellen said they did all the rest of the sale by fax or electronically. Does he like being a dentist?’
Emma grinned, a white, straight teeth grin. Testimony to her father’s talent? ‘I guess he does. It certainly wasn’t what I wanted to do, although one of my brothers is in dental school. I wanted to do what my uncle Casey did, and here I am.’
‘I’m sure it’s a lot more exciting.’
‘Sometimes. Often it’s a lot of paperwork and tracking things – and people – down. But sometimes …’
There was a lull while Emma seemed to retreat into her own thoughts.
Mary tried to think of something to break the silence. ‘Why did Mr Wilson go back to Sacramento?’
‘Oh.’ She came back with a start. ‘He took Miller’s laptop and his cell phone to the lab. There may be something on one of them that can give us a clue as to why he was here.’
Mary nodded. ‘I assume you went through his room. Where was he staying?’
‘Place called The Harmony Ranch. Not very glamorous, but clean and they take dogs. And, no, we didn’t find anything else. No notes, no pictures, not one blasted thing. I hope he left something on his computer.’
‘Yes, The Harmony Ranch. A good place. I know Heidi, the owner. How about the dog? Who’s going to take him? Does Miller have any family who’d want him?’
‘Not that I know about. He was divorced years ago but I don’t know who she is or where she is. As far as anyone in the department goes, I’m not sure. I know Wilson won’t. He’s never liked that dog and Ranger isn’t too fond of him.’
Mary leaned forward a little, studying Emma’s face, wondering if she should bring up what Mitch had told her and decided she should. ‘Did Mr Wilson say anything about his visit to Santa Louisa a few weeks ago?’
Emma had been watching her tea sway in her glass as she tipped it from side to side, but now it hit the table with a small bang as her head jerked up to stare at Mary. ‘Say what? Wilson was here? In this town? When? How do you know that?’
‘A friend told me. He wanted to know who he was. Said he’d seen him in town a while ago and wondered why he was with Dan.’
‘He’s sure it’s the same man?’ Mary didn’t know how to read the expression on Emma’s face but it was a lot more than mild interest.
‘He’s positive and I believe him.’
‘Mary … Is it all right if I call you Mary?’
Mary nodded and waited.
‘Did your friend tell you where he …’ She waited but Mary didn’t respond. ‘Where was Wilson and what was he doing?’
‘My friend saw him in the alley, the one behind the jewelry store, the pet store and the computer shop. Wilson seemed to be loitering and it made my friend nervous.’
Emma was very still. She seemed to be thinking hard and whatever she was thinking didn’t seem, from the expression on her face, to please her much. ‘That’s all you’re going to tell me, isn’t it?’
‘Well, it’s not like I was told in confidence, but …’
‘Are you going to tell Dan?’
‘Should I?’
‘I think it might be a good idea.’
Unease crept up Mary’s neck and settled in the back of her head. There was something going on here that she didn’t like. That Emma hadn’t known Wilson visited Santa Louisa only a few weeks ago was obvious, but he had berated her for not telling him her family originally came from this area. Why? She could hardly quiz Emma. She’d absolutely tell Dan about Wilson and who saw him and what he was doing. Then she’d quiz him about what it all meant. He might or might not tell her whatever he knew. In the meantime: ‘I’ll mention it to Dan.’
Emma nodded, the expression on her face grim, and picked up the check. ‘I’ve got to get back. I’ve already taken longer for lunch than I should have. Thank you, Mary, for everything. I’ll be talking to you?’
There was a large question mark on the end of that sentence that couldn’t be ignored. Mary nodded and pushed back her chair.
It took only minutes and they were on the street, Emma ready to head toward the police department and Mary to her car, but they were both stopped by a voice calling Mary’s name.
A tall, dark-haired young man wearing sunglasses, a large smile and leading – or rather, being led – by a German shepherd, was baring down on them at a slow trot.
‘Look who I have.’ Tommy Lowell proudly came to a stop in front of Mary. He grinned at her then smiled at Emma, who smiled back. ‘Hello. I’m Tommy Lowell. This is Ranger.’
‘Ranger, I know.’ Emma bent down and rubbed Ranger between his ears.
He wagged his tail in greeting.
‘I’m Emma Baxter.’ She straightened up and looked Tommy Lowell over slowly. ‘Nice to meet you, Tommy Lowell.’ She turned slightly toward Mary. ‘Thanks for everything. I’ve got to run.’ Then she addressed Tommy once more. ‘Do you have Ranger often?’
‘This is the first time. He’s a nice dog.’
‘Yes. He is.’ She looked at Ranger thoughtfully then back at Tommy. ‘Maybe we’ll meet again.’
Mary, Ranger and Tommy watched her hurry down the sidewalk and disappear around the corner.
‘Who was that?’ Tommy hadn’t yet taken his eyes of the now-empty corner.
‘She’s one of the special agents looking into Mr Miller’s death.’
Tommy whirled around to stare at her, Ranger seemingly forgotten. ‘She’s a cop? Is she looking into the jewelry robberies as well?’ His face had gone white and he looked a little sick.
‘How do you know about the jewelry robberies?’
‘Everybody in town knows about them. That Miller guy was here investigating them and Dan thinks there’s a connection.’ He turned to look at the empty corner once more. ‘Wouldn’t you just know it,’ he mumbled, then he and Ranger walked slowly down the street the other way.